Most of us know the Toyota Corolla as a family car that has religiously checked all practical necessities in every generation. It has dipped its toes in racing and rallying from time to time but what comes to the consumers is the toned down version, until now.
Born from the desire of Toyota President Akio Toyoda to “bring back a Corolla that captivates our customers,” Gazoo Racing went to work and has now pulled the curtains on the new GR Corolla. It’s a 5-door hatchback that was injected with Gazoo Racing DNA. Akio Toyoda himself had his inputs in it, as well as Hiroaki Ishiura, and All-Japan Rally Championship winner Norihiko Katsuta; putting the GR Corolla through its paces on the track and dirt.
Under the hood is an evolved version of the engine found in the GR Yaris. The GR Corolla has a 1.6-liter 3-cylinder turbo engine that makes 300 horsepower with 370 Nm of torque, paired to a 6-speed manual transmission. The triple-exhaust has a valve that’s meant to reduce back pressure for optimal power delivery.
The GR-FOUR 4WD system has also been modified for the GR Corolla. The drivetrain that controls the driving force distribution has been separated from the unit that controls throttle response, steering and others allowing drivers to customize their preferred driving characteristic. They will still have the option to adjust the power distribution to the front or rear wheels in either 60:40, 50:50, or 30:70 bias.
Cornering was an aspect they put a lot of thought on. The front track was increased by 60mm while 85mm was added for the rear. They also tweaked the suspension by utilizing pillow-ball bushings, optimized the springs, shock absorbers, and wheel alignment to maximize the GR-FOUR’s capability on all four wheels and to the surface. This results in ‘overwhelming cornering performance’ that should be better than that of the GR Yaris.
The best thing about the GR Corolla is it’s still a 5-door hatchback with space for five occupants. You can enjoy the mountains with your car friends or use it daily, if your area doesn’t have bad traffic.
The Toyota GR Corolla comes in 2 variants, at least for the US. The ‘Core’ will be released later this year while a limited-edition ‘Circuit’ grade will be launched next year. The Circuit model has forged carbon fiber roof, vented bulge hood, sporty rear spoiler, Brin Naub suede-trimmed sport seats, and launch-year-exclusive Morizo signed shift knob. Morizo is the name Toyota President Akio Toyoda uses when he’s racing.
Both variants will have Toyota Safety Senses as standard as well. No pricing details have been shared yet but said to be announced later this year.